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Monday, November 8, 2010

Arbor Brewing Co.

Saturdays are for enjoying the company of those close to you, what better way to do this than by exploring?

Last Saturday Chels and I decided to enjoy each other's company while re-exploring downtown Ann Arbor. We took a nice long walk, past the Stadium, through the law quad, hit up Border's #1, Moosejaw, Starbuck's and then settled down in one of the highback booths at Arbor Brewing Co.

This was our second trip to Arbor Brewing, so I feel that now I am able to make a fair judgement of this establishment.

After being seated we perused the menu. The menu is chock full of dishes crafted with locally grown and produced ingredients, such a huge breath of fresh air in a culture where the average hamburger contains trace pieces of more than 9 different cows. Keeping the cuisine local definitely appears to be important to the folks at Arbor Brewing.

Chelsea quickly spotted a hand-crafted black bean burger on a whole wheat bun. She thoroughly enjoyed her selection. She found packed with flavor and not too salty.

Naturally I was at a pub, so I chose the burger. The menu said that it was from grassfed beef, so I knew that it would be real meat. When I ordered a side of fries I was delighted to find that there were multiple options for flavored fries! I chose garlic, as did Chelsea, because, who eats regular fries anymore?

After a bit of searching the beer menu I came across what I was looking for, their IPA. The Sacred Cow, as they call it there, came in the house pint glass at just the right temperature. Sacred Cow was both tangy and crisp as the menu suggests. It is a pretty solid IPA, full of hoppy goodness. I suggest it to anyone who enjoys IPA's, or since it is rather tame, to anyone who is looking to get into the IPA tasting game.

Arbor Brewing makes some quality beer, that is for sure. There were so many subtle things going in that beer that I am going to have to go back again for a second opinion!

Our food came in just the right amount of time to be enjoyed with the last bit of my beer.

The Burger with the bacon and gorgonzola was excellent, and the garlic fries were out of this world as well. One other noteworthy aspect of the meal was the portion sizes, to label them generous is an understatement, they were borderline huge.

I recommend you give this place a shot, if you are not already familiar with it. The atmosphere is warm and inviting and hopefully you are lucky enough to get a seat near the windows with the brewing equipment.

With its friendly staff, extensive list of not only their own beer, but also those from across the state, and its seasonal decorations this may turn into your little place around the corner.

I know that I will be making a return trip soon. Maybe I will try something else on the menu. Who am I kidding, I will have the burger.